Nassau County Will and Testament

Many of us assume that when we pass away our family and friends will make sure that our final wishes are followed. After all, they know you very well. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Furthermore, even if your family does know wishes under New York's intestate succession rules without a will your wishes become irrelevant. Instead, the law has specific rules as to which of your relatives will inherit your estate. Those who you want to inherit may not get anything. The best way to make sure that your wishes are followed, however, is through comprehensive estate planning, including a last will and testament. To create a will and other estate planning documents that are customized to accomplish your personal goals contact an experienced Nassau County Will and Testament Lawyer to guide you through the process.

A will and testament is a legal document in which you state who will be the executor and manage your estate upon you death. It also defines who will receive your assets and who will take care of your minor children if the other parent is also not available to take care of them.

Depending on your goals, there are different types of wills that you can make. The most common type of will is a simple will. Just as its name implies a simple will is a will that only includes straightforward, basic terms such as naming your executor, specific bequests, and naming guardians for your children.

For more complicated situations, there are other options. For example, if you and your spouse or you and any other person who would like memorialize an arrangement wherein each of you leave the other your entire estate, reciprocal wills and joints wills are options. With reciprocal wills you and another person create 2 wills that provide that each of you leave your entire estate to each other. With a joint will you and at least one other person creates a single will that provides that each person would get the survivor's estate.

If you would like your property to be transferred to a trust upon your death, a pour over will is an option to explore. With a pour over will when you pass away any property that is in your estate and is subject to your will automatically be transferred to the trust. Then the property will be distributed to the trust's beneficiaries according to the terms of the trust.

Regardless of the type of will you decide to make, if after executing it you need to change it, you can write a completely new will, or you can amend it with a codicil. For example, you may want to amend your will to leave property to a grandchild who is born after the original will was executed. Or, you may need to make changes to your will after your financial situation changes. A simple way to do so is by creating a codicil. In fact, it is a good practice to review your estate planning documents annually to make sure that they are still consistent with your wishes.

Whether your will is a simple will, pour over will, joint will, reciprocal will, or if you amend your will with codicil, you must make sure that they are drafted and executed consistent with New York law. Otherwise, the Surrogate's Court will not admit your will to probate and your property will be distributed according to intestate succession rules.

However, there are exceptions to the general rule that wills must follow certain formalities to be value. New York Estates, Powers, and Trusts law provides that holographic wills and nuncupative wills, when created under certain circumstances, will be valid despite not being created and executed according to the normal legal requirements. A holographic will is one that is handwritten by the testator and is not witnessed. A nuncupative will is one that is oral, but is witnessed by at least 2 people. Holographic and nuncupative wills are only legal binding if they are made by a member of the U.S. armed forces or a person accompanying a member of the armed forces during a time of conflict, or by a mariner at sea. NY EPTL § 3-2.2. Holographic and nuncupative wills expire one year following discharge from the armed forces.

What happens if you die without a will?

If you die without leaving a valid will, the New York Surrogate's Court will appoint a probate administrator who will manage your estate and distribute it according to New York's intestacy laws. NY EPTL § 4-1.1. If you have a surviving spouse and no children, your entire estate will go to your spouse. If you have both a surviving spouse and children, they will share in your estate. If you have children, but no surviving spouse, your children will get your entire estate. If you do not have a surviving spouse and you do not have children, then your estate will pass to other surviving blood relatives based on intestate succession rules. New York intestacy rules do not allow for friends or organizations to be heirs.

If you have minor children and the other parent is not available to care for them, in the absence of a will or other valid estate planning document specifying who you want to raise your minor children, the court will choose a guardian for you. The court's choice may not be a choice you would make. Furthermore, the result may be difficult and surprising for your children who are already trying to deal with your loss.

What makes a will valid?

In order for a will to be valid, it must be in writing and signed by you at the end. There are cases where the testator is physically unable to sign a will. It is permissible for someone to assist the testator in signing the will. For example, a "guiding hand" is permitted. If a guiding hand is use, the testator still must have the intent to sign. If the testator is not able to sign the will even with the help of a guiding hand, the law allows someone to sign the will for the testator. This is referred to as a proxy signature. The proxy signature must be one in the presence of the testator and the testator must have testamentary capacity. For example, a proxy signature will not be valid if the testator is unconscious at the time of the proxy signature. The person making the proxy signature must also sign his or her name. However, that person cannot also be a witness.

At least two witnesses must also sign the will, attesting that they saw you sign the will or that you advised them that you did indeed sign the will. NY EPTL § 3-2.1(a)(4). The statute does not mentioned specific requirements for a person to be a witness. However, ideally the witnesses are not also beneficiaries named in the will, as witnesses are not allow to also receive gifts in the will. NY EPTL § 3-3.2(a)(1). In other words, an "interested" witness' bequest will be voided.

When it is time for the signing of your will, the witnesses must affirm that you as the testator understand that you are making a will and that the document being signed is your last will and testament. Ideally, you should sign the will in the presence of both of the witnesses. However, if you do not, when the witnesses sign you should acknowledge that the signature on the will is yours. The two witnesses are not required to sign the will at the same time. However, the law requires that they sign within 30 days of each other. In New York, there is a rebuttable presumption that a will was signed by each witness within a 30 day period. However, this presumption can be challenged in a will contest. Should there be a challenge to the validity of the will the witnesses may be called to testify regarding the circumstances of the execution of the will.

In order for your will to be valid, you must have testamentary capacity and you must not be under undue influence. Testamentary capacity means that you must have the mental capacity to understand that you are making a will. In In the Matter of the Estate of Butler, 957 N.Y.S.2d 263 (2012), the court described a 3 part test for the existence of testamentary. At the time the will was executed the testator must have understood the nature and consequences of executing a will, the testator must have under the property he or she owned and its value, and the testator must understand who his or her family members were.

Undue influence is show if 3 factors exist. The person accused of exerting undue influence must have motive, opportunity and completed actual acts of undue influence. Under the Putnam Rule, there is a rebuttable inference of undue influence when an attorney is a named beneficiary in a will and testament that he or she also drafted.

What happens with my will when I die?

When you pass away, the person who you named as executor in your last will and testament will petition the Surrogate's Court to allow your will to be probated so that your assets can be distributed to your beneficiaries. Once the judge admits the will to probate, your executor will have the legal authority to manage your estate, including paying debts owed by your estate and transferring legal title to property to beneficiaries according to the instructions you provided in your will.

A will and testament is but one document in a comprehensive estate plan. In order to meet your planning goals and provide for both your future needs and the needs of your family, you may need additional estate planning tools such as a living will and trust. To learn more about estate planning , contact Stephen Bilkis and Associates. We will help you develop an overall estate plan that reflects your individual goals. Contact us at 1-800-NY-NY-LAW (1-800-696-9529) to schedule a free, no obligation consultation regarding your estate plan.

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